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If you live in one of these 10 most dangerous states in Americawith highest violent crime rates, you should definitely keep your doors locked at all times.

Although it may not seems so from the news, violent crime rates are dropping, according to the FBI’s publication Crime in the United States 2013. Regardless of media image, violent crime rates have been reduced by almost 15% in the last 10 years. In 2004, there were 1,325,000 cases of murder, rape, robbery and assault. In 2013, that number fell to about 1,160,000 cases. That is 4.4% less than in 2012. If we go further into the past, the results are even more impressive. Compared 1990, violent crime rates are almost halved. Although these statistics doesn’t mean much, if anything, to victims and their families, it is good news. Hopefully, the trend will continue into the future, as the economy grows and fewer people are being forced to live under the poverty line. But as if to compensate for the decline of violent crimes, Mother Nature seems intent on increasing its destructive powers, as we can see in this article about most dangerous states for natural disasters.

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Still, some states have violent crime rates much higher than the national average. In 2013, there were 368 cases per 100,000 citizens in the US. Considering that the top country on our list has more than 600 violent crime cases, the situation clearly isn’t improving at the same pace nationwide. Why do some states have so many violent crimes?

Experts suggest that economic issues have a lot to do with crime rates. The most dangerous states in America with the highest violent crime rates tend to be the ones with the highest rates of poverty as well. Reducing instances of violent crimes is very difficult without reducing the poverty and creating a better economic situation in the states that are most affected with it.

Several processes have been identified as very helpful in reducing crime. Immigration, reducing economic segregation and gentrification have been proven to help reduce violence in cities which managed to encourage them. Perhaps these 10 most dangerous states in America with highest violent crime rates should consider these as well.